2:57 PM,
Jan. 31, 2014

Paris-born Fabien Gabel is the guest conductor this weekend with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Written by

Daniel J. Kushner

In a departure from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's frequent explorations of German Romanticism, Thursday's concert, which repeats Saturday, was largely a jaunt into turn-of-the-century French modernism.

First up in the program, led by Paris-born guest conductor Fabien Gabel in his professional U.S. debut, was Claude Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun." Though the tenderly played flute solo that opens the piece faltered slightly from flat intonation, it was Gabel's performance that proved most memorable.